6/28/10
To Whom It May Concern:
Good afternoon from Kalamazoo, MI! My name is Erik Utrecht and I am the Security and Investigations Specialist for Elite Security Services Inc. of Grand Rapids, MI and an Assistant Instructor with Steve Fisher’s Michigan Defensive Firearms Institute. I am an honorably separated Military Police Officer and Instructor and now a currently a licensed Private Investigator in the State of Michigan and a Certified Federal Criminal Investigator. I am currently head of the Executive Protection detail, Lead Defensive/ Less-lethal Instructor, and Security Consultant for our firm.
Over a year ago, I purchased one of your 5.7x28 upper receivers (SN 000104) and immediately saw its potential as a close-in PDW. Currently, our firm is evaluating the AR-15 pistol lowers equipped with 5.7 pistol uppers as our standard PDW for our VIP/EP teams.
It is a benefit that I have the opportunity to instruct along side Steve Fisher with MDFI due to the endless drills and abuse that we subject our kit to on a daily basis. Recently, we took advantage of a Carbine Class to run the 5.7 upper through some ‘uncommon’ torture testing.
Prior to our lunch break- we submerged the 5.7 upper call-signed “Wilson” (due to the Wilson tennis racket bag used as a discrete case) in a nearby pond for approximately 40 minutes. (See photos) After retrieving the PDW from the water, the whole system was full of fine mud, sand and plant matter. (To include a crawfish that had taken up residence in the hand-guards- see photo)
We then took the PDW directly to the shooting lane (approx 20 yds away) and fired about 25 rounds from the magazine that was submerged with the firearm.
The system ran like a top as you can see in the video- (http://s26.photobucket.com/albums/c113/rocketdodger/?action=view¤t=P1020300.mp4) and certainly impressed the students present in the class.
We are still working on what configuration we will be using for our security work, but would be very interested in testing any new developments that PW Arms plans on fielding for this versatile weapons system.
Thank you for you time and great product.
Erik D. Utrecht
Security and Investigations Specialist
Elite Security Services Inc.
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